Level wind for fishing reels



Feb. 15, 1949. 5, ELSlNGE'R 2,461,884

LEVEL WIND FOR FISHING HEELS Filed Jan. 3, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I I I I QMW WMMMW Feb. 15, 1949. I s. ELSINGER 2,461,884

LEVEL WIND FOR FISHING REELS Filed Jan. 3, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 5 7Z7. ii I m J wen-Moo iatented Feb. 15, 1943) LEVEL WIND FOR FISHING REELS Louis S. Elsinger, Tampa, Fla.; J. E. Gillan trustee in bankruptcy of said Louis S. Elsmger Application January 3, 1946, Serial No. 638,848

3 Claims.

This invention relates to fishing reels.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved means for level winding the fish line on the spool or drum.

Another object of this invention is to provide in a reel a laterally movable line guide, and means coupled to the spool driving mechanism for shifting the guide back and forth so that the line will be evenly wound on the spool.

A further object of this invention is to provide in a reel construction a horizontally rockable lever which is loosely coupled to the line guide and a rotatable lever operator which is gear coupled to the spool mechanism for rocking the lever simultaneously with rotation of the spool.

To the foregoing objects, and others which may hereinafter more fully appear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be more specifically referred to and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but it is to be understood that changes, variations, and modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a detailed top plan of a fishing reel partly broken away and in section having a level winding means mounted thereon constructed according to an embodiment of this invention,

Figure 2 is a detailed front elevation of the reel,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, v

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3, and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 66 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral l0 designates generally a fishing reel frame embodying opposite side members II and i2, which are connected together by spaced bars l3 and I4 secured to the side members II and I2 by fastening means I5. The side members H and I2 also have fixed therebetween a rear spacer member generally designated as 16. The spacer member It includes a forwardly projecting plate I! having a pair of transversely arcuate ears l8 which are engaged with the rear portion of the fishing pole for securing the reel structure upon a pole. The frame I9 has rotatably mounted between the side members II and I2 thereof a winding spool I9. The spool I9 is gear coupled to a crank 20, the gears for rotating the spool 19 being mounted in a housing or cover 2| secured to the outer side of the side member l2.

A pair of spaced apart parallel line guiding bars 22 and 23 are disposed at the forward side or end of the frame In being fixedly secured at their upper ends to a sliding block 24, which is formed with a concave upper surface 25 which slidably contacts with the connecting member [3. The bars 22 and 23 are longitudinally bent, as shown in Figure 3, being curved to substantially the same curvature as the ends 26 of the spool I9 and the lower or forward ends of the bars 22 and 23 are downwardly and outwardly bent as indicated at 21. The lower or forward ends of the bars 23 and 24 are fixedly secured to a sliding sleeve 28 which is loosely mounted on the connecting member l4. adapted to loosely engage between the two bars 22 and 23, so that when the bars are laterally shifted between the side members of the frame the line will be drawn therewith so that the line will be evenly wound in evenlayers upon the spool I9.

In order to provide for lateral shifting of the guide as the spool I9 is rotated, I have provided a guide shifting lever 29. The lever 29 is pivotally mounted on a pivot member 30, which extends upwardly through the plate The upper side of the plate I! has a shouldered stud or pivot 3| which engages the boss 32 which is fixed to lever 29. Said stud or pivot 30 is riveted to plate I! by means of a downwardly projecting cylindrical extension which passes through part I1 and is riveted or headed against the lower side thereof. By removing screws, parts I! and [8 become easily disengaged from 13 and I4 shoulders and then lever 29 together with boss 3| and plate I! with pivot or stud 30 may be rearwardly withdrawn as an assembled unit while part l8 falls away. The lever 29 at its forward end is provided with a slot 34 within which a downwardly extending pin 35 which is fixed to the sliding sleeve 28 is adapted to loosely engage. In this manner as the lever 29 is rocked horizontally on the pivot 30, the guide bars 22 and 23 will be laterally shifted on the guide or frame member I l. The lever 29 is rocked back and'forth with rotation of the spool l 9 bywmeans of a cam, generally designated as 36. The cam 36 is mounted on a shaft 31 journaled transversely of the frame l0 and the cam member 33 is formed of a cylindrical body 38 having a cam track 39 formed therein.

The lever 29 has secured to the upper side thereof a roller pin 40 which engages in the The fishing line iscam track 39, so that upon rotation of the cam 36 the lever 29 will be rocked to laterally shift the line guiding bars. The shaft 37 has fixed to one end thereof a gearing 4| disposed in the housing or cover 2| and meshing with the gear train 42 connected with the crank 20 and the spool I9. The gear train 42 is of conventional construction and may embody two or more gears for rtating the spool l9'at the desired speed with rotation of the crank 20. The cam 36 and the shaft 31 are substantially enclosed by a transversely arcuate cover or shield 43 which extends between the two side members I l and i2 and the shield 43 is formed with a substantially V-shaped apron 44 extending rearwardly therefrom in a horizontal or sloping plane. The apron 44 has extending downwardly therefrom a flange 45 which may be secured to or formed integral with the plate H.

In the use and operation of this device the fishing line is threaded between the two guide bars 22 and 23 and one end is then secured to the winding spool i9. As the crank 28 is rotated the spool l9 willrotate therewith and as the latter rotates shaft 3'l'with cam 36 will rotate through the gear coupling 4|. As cam 33 rotates the lever 29 will be rocked back and forth in a horizontal plane and will move with the slide 28 and the concave guiding surface 25 carried by the block 24 will hold the upper ends of the guide bars 22 and 23 against vertical rocking while permitting free lateral shifting thereof. The gear ratio between the gear 4| and the gear train 42 is preferably such as to provide for the complete filling of the length of the spool [8 in one layer during one lateral movement of the line guide structure. When the line structure moves on thereturn movement thereof the line will be laid on thespool in a succeeding layer.

Theexact configuration illustrated is regarded as the optimum, but some of the desirable results inherent in this disclosure may be obtained by various slight modifications including some departure from the exact configuration shown, and it is'therefore requested that the scope of the invention shouldbe regardedas limited only by the terms of the claims.

What I claimis:

1. In a fishing reel comprising a pair of side members and a winding spool rotatably mounted between said side members, a level winding means comprising a pair of spaced apart parallel bars, means slidably supporting said bars between said endmembers longitudinally of said spool on the forward side thereof, a rock lever underlying said spool, a rotatable grooved cam carried by said reel opposite said spool from said bars, and means operatively connecting said rock lever to said cam and said bars for sliding said bars upon rotation of said cam.

2. In a fishing reel comprising a lower plate, a pair of side members on opposite sides of said plate, and a winding spool rotatable between said side members, a line guiding'memben'means slidably supporting said member for movement along the length of said spool on one side thereof, a rotatable grooved cam between said side members on the opposite side of said spool, a rock lever on saidplate and underlying said spool, means carried by said sliding member engaging one end ofsaid lever; and means carried 'by said lever engaging said grooved cam for rocking said lever upon rotation of said cam thereby effecting sliding movement of said line guide member along the length of 'saidspool.

3. In afishing reel comprising a lowerplate, a pair of side members on said plate, a' windlng spool rotatably mounted between said side =members, and gear means for rotating said spool, a rock lever underlying said spool, meanspivotall'y securing one end of saidlever on said:lower'piate, a grooved cam "rotatably mounted between said side members on one side of said spook-a pin fixed on said leverintermediatethe length thereof engaging said cam in the groove therein; a slotted member on'the otherendof'said lever; a-line guide member on'the'other side-of said spool, means slidably mounting said line guide member for sliding movementalong the length ofsaid spool, a pin carried bysaid line guiding-member engaging in said'slotted member, and means operatively connecting'said'cam'to said gear means whereby rotation of said spool will effect rotation of said cam, rocking of'said lever-"and' sliding-of said'li'ne guide member.

LOUISSI ELSINGER= REFERENCES CITED The following references are of recordiin'the file of 1 this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 583,913 Kruschke June 8, 1897 828,969 Rhodes Aug, 21,1906

1,507,404 Welch Sept; 2,11924 2,377,996 Coleman June 12, 1945 

